1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to the art of clothes washing machines and, more particularly, to the incorporation of a detergent tray in a sump area of a washing machine.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
A typical clothes washing operation includes the placing of clothes to be laundered within a wash or inner tub which is rotatable within an outer, fixed tub. Thereafter, water and detergent are added into the wash tub to form a cleaning solution. The clothes are then subjected to various wash, drain and rinse cycle portions. The inner tub is provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced holes such that the cleaning solution is actually retained by the outer tub. The outer tub has associated therewith a port for draining the cleaning solution between consecutive cycle portions through the operation of a pump.
When filling the wash tub, a substantial portion of the detergent is actually directed right into the drain port in order to initially fill the drainage system. Typically, the first 10-15 seconds of fill time simply functions to fill the drain system. If detergent is introduced during this period, that detergent will actually be used to fill the drain system. Even if the introduction of the detergent is delayed, the detergent will tend to sink to this low point. In washing machines that incorporate a recirculation feature, the water and detergent in this drainage zone will still be available for use in the wash cycle. However, in such a washing machine arrangement, either an additional recirculation pump or complicated valving and flow structure must be employed to enable one pump to perform both recirculating and draining operations. That is, a pump would need to be used to reintroduce the detergent in the drainage zone back to the load of clothes being laundered. In washing machines which do not having recirculation features, the detergent concentration in the overall washing solution will be reduced due to a percentage of detergent being lost in the drainage zone.
In order to provide for a more effective overall washing operation, it would be desirable to provide an arrangement designed to capture a considerable percentage of the originally supplied detergent for use in the washing operation. Such an arrangement would be particularly advantageous in a washing machine which does not employ a recirculation system wherein, if the detergent enters the drainage zone, the detergent will be essentially isolated from the laundry and not available for washing the clothes.
Although it has been heretofore proposed in the art to provide a trap or strainer in a sump area of a washing machine, such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,236,386, 4,125,003 and 4,485,645, in order to collect foreign objects which may otherwise flow into and damage a drain pump, none of these arrangements is configured or functions to retain detergent therein in order to achieve the advantages of the present invention. Of course, a sump portion of a washing machine will inherently function to collect a percentage of the detergent supplied into the machine during initial operation. This fact is supported by the disclosure in U.S. Pat. No. 5,031,427 which is concerned with isolating the clothes being laundered from excessive suds. Regardless, a substantial portion of the detergent will still collect in the drain system during the washing portion of the machine cycle. However, since the ""427 patent is concerned with a recirculating type washing operation, the problem of lost detergent is, to some extent, minimized.
In any event, there exists a need in the art for a washing machine incorporating a detergent collection arrangement which will substantially limit the amount of detergent reaching a drain of the machine during an initial fill operation such that sufficient amounts of detergent will be available for an improved wash cycle, instead of being wasted in the drainage zone. There particularly exists a need in the art for a detergent collection arrangement in a washing machine which does not employ a recirculation system.
The present invention is directed to providing a detergent collection tray in the sump area of an outer tub of a washing machine, particularly a horizontal axis washing machine. The sump area is exposed to a drain opening and the tray is mounted above the drain so as to cover the opening. More particularly, the tray extends above a bottom of the sump to allow the machine to drain. However, as liquid detergent enters a washing tub of the machine or a powdered detergent is washed into the outer tub, the detergent will flow into the tray so as to be prevented from flowing directly into the drainage zone. Therefore, the tray prevents the loss of detergent into the drainage zone by functioning to capture or collect the detergent for use during the washing operation. In accordance with the most preferred form of the invention, the tray is preferably sized to hold more than enough detergent needed for a full washing operation.
Although the invention may be used in various types of washing machines, it is particularly adapted for use in a washing machine which does not employ a recirculation system. In such machines, if detergent enters the drain, the detergent will become isolated from the laundry and is no longer available for washing of the clothes. In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, ribs are provided on the tray to cause undissolved detergent to be retained in the tray. In addition, the outer tub is formed with structure which aids in mounting the detergent tray in the sump portion thereof. The invention also contemplates providing a spray or the like which functions to fill the drain to further prevent detergent from being lost.
Additional objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment when taken in conjunction with the drawing wherein like reference numerals referring to corresponding parts in the several views.